Despite that fact, a considerable number of businesses of all sizes still are running Windows XP. According to the latest data from Net Applications, Windows 7 accounted for 44.7 percent of desktop operating-system usage share, with XP still contributing 38.7 percent; Windows Vista 5 percent; and Windows 8, 3.2 percent. The Net Applications chart, embedded in this post, is from March 2013.)

Microsoft's latest upgrade campaign is aimed at these small/midsize business Windows XP users is using cost savings as a way to try to convince them to move ahead of the the April 8, 2014, end-of-support (EOS) date.

Update: Microsoft sent me revised participation information. A spokesperson said: "Windows 8 Pro and Office Standard 2013 must be purchased together, up to 249 seats each. Since the offer varies by country, a customer would want to connect with their partner for the exact pricing." More details are available on Microsoft's Get2Modern site.

Microsoft's latest blog post about the coming EOS date makes an appeal to businesses still using XP on the security and feature fronts, too.

"While end of support for Windows XP is still one year away, the migration process can take some time and may be costlier the longer you stayon Windows XP, ultimately putting your business at risk. The security landscape is ever-changing and new threats are coming to fruition every day, so it is critical that businesses ensure they protect their data and IP against the latest threats by deploying a modern Windows platform," blogged Erwin Visser, a Senior Director in the Windows division.

Will those running XP be ready and interested in moving to Windows 8? That's a whole other question. My gut is many of these users would be more comfortable and better equipped to move to Windows 7 than Windows 8, which was built as a touch-centric operating system best suited to working on newer touch hardware....